US to impose new sanctions on Russian Federation

The 1991 Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act "requires the president to make a determination with respect to whether a country has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of worldwide law or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals, " the State Department said.

Police officers guard a cordon around a police tent covering a supermarket vehicle park pay machine near the spot where former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found critically ill following exposure to the Russian-developed nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury, England (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File).

In a statement Wednesday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the U.S. had made this decision on Monday, and accused Russian Federation of violating global law.

She said sanctions would take effect on or around 22 August, after a 15-day Congressional notification period.

An official judgement on the Skripal affair has tonight been passed by the the US State Department, paving the way for new sanctions against Russian Federation.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has signed off a new round of sanctions over the violation of worldwide law.

In March, two weeks after the Skripal attack, President Trump signed a statement, together with the leaders of France, Germany, and Britain, blaming Russia for the assassination attempt on the former Russian military officer, who was convicted of spying for Britain. Police believe the couple accidentally found a bottle containing Novichok.

There would, however, be exemptions for space flight activities, government space cooperation, and areas covering commercial passenger aviation safety, which would be reviewed on a case by case basis, the official added.

Washington had already expelled dozens of Russian diplomats from the USA over the poisoning.

Reports earlier this week that the United Kingdom was preparing to request the extradition of two Russians it suspected of being behind the attack were found to be less advanced than initially suggested, Sky sources said. The US still wants to maintain relations with Moscow, despite the new sanctions.